The COVID-19 pandemic has changed not only the lives of many people, but also the global and local markets. Around the world, there has been a significant reduction in production capacity due to the closure of borders between countries and the introduction of a self-isolation regime. The coronavirus has a huge impact on the logistics industry, has disrupted the familiar ties between manufacturers and consumers and has made major business changes for logistics companies.
Major global logistics trends:
The decrease in freight traffic on a global and local scale. The reasons are obvious: the closure of countries’ borders, the massive closure of retail outlets, the growth of the dollar, isolation of the population, a decrease in demand and purchasing power, as well as a state of fear and uncertainty among consumers. Many factories and plants around the world are closed for quarantine – there is nothing to transport and there is no one to transport.
Lack of simple, clear rules of the game in quarantine conditions for representatives of the logistics market.
Consider the current situation and impact on the logistics industry in the fragmented regions of the planet and start with China, which was the first to cope with the coronavirus pandemic.
Logistics in China
There is a positive example of Asian countries, where the peak of the epidemic has passed and the traffic from countries to Europe is beginning to recover. For example, 90% of China’s factories have restored their work and are already sending cargo.
All types of transportation have suffered in China: air, sea, rail, road. The usual multimodal schemes were destroyed. Logistics companies had to urgently look for an alternative to the “broken” links: for example, to replace road transport within the provinces with rail. Logistics issues could be the hardest hit in the automotive industry, which threatened the supply chain between auto parts manufacturing sites and assembly plants. However, logistical congestion was overcome.
In the context of the epidemic, rail transport has become the main tool in transportation. It was by trains that a significant part of China’s anti-epidemic and medical cargo was transported. Railway teams from many Chinese provinces worked around the clock and helped factories, factories, construction and trading companies get back to work on time. In February, Guangzhou re-established rail links with Russia. In May 2020, there is a high demand for rail transportation from Asia.
It was also possible to solve problems on sea lines, despite the fact that maritime logistics is less elastic and requires more time to restore the normal rhythm. But here, too, operators tried to react flexibly to the situation by deploying emergency feeder services. Individual car companies also worked effectively in difficult conditions.
The customs service of the Chinese provinces are also working effectively in an epidemic, which significantly reduced the time required to process priority cargoes, opened green corridors for anti-epidemic and medical cargo, as well as for raw materials and spare parts needed to restore production. Many customs offices have switched to the “first release – then the end of customs procedures” regime. It also helped reopen businesses and normalise foreign trade.
In general, freight is being transported, although the supply chain between China and Europe is still disrupted.
Logistics in the European Union
The EU economy is currently experiencing all the consequences of quarantine measures. The movement of freight transport has not been completely closed, however, certain restrictions apply. In addition, the number of transport companies’ clients has decreased significantly. The exponent of the number of cases in Europe is currently still growing.
In general, experts predict a fall in the European freight market by at least 40%.
The authorities of European countries are introducing various preferences for the main players in the logistics market and, if companies have representative offices in Latvia, Germany, Italy, and other European countries, they will be able to reduce the tax rate and not pay rent during the crisis (this information should be followed on the websites of governments countries). If an organisation needs to terminate contracts due to force majeure, then it is necessary to obtain a document from the local authorities confirming the recognition of the epidemiological situation in the region as force majeure. For example, in Lithuania, such a certificate can be obtained from the regional chambers of commerce and industry.
Key logistics trends in the EU:
The volume of both intra-European and international traffic has decreased.
In connection with the self-isolation regime introduced in all European countries, the roads have become practically empty.
The EU lifted restrictions prohibiting the movement of trucks on weekends.
Rates in Europe are falling.
